About Rita
by robspace54
Summary: Rita, Thomas Magnum's friend, has a past, and one which has now followed her to the islands. Can Magnum save her?


**About Rita**

by Robert E. Schorry

**The characters, places and situations of ****_Magnum, P. I_****.****_,_**** are owned by ****Belisarius Productions, Glen A. Larson Productions, and Universal Television****. This story places no claim of remuneration or ownership, nor do I make any attempt to infringe upon any rights of the owners or producers.**

Chapter 1 – Legend

There is an ancient Polynesian legend and it goes like this:

There was a beautiful maiden, one of the king's daughters, and young suitors came from many islands to try and woo her. They brought many gifts of crafts, clothes, and pigs but they were not fine enough for the king to accept. Years passed and the king did not give his consent to any of the suitors. Meanwhile the princess grew weary of being without husband.

The maiden was willing to accept her father's decision, until the oldest man on the island, one of the king's grandfather's advisors, and so ancient that not any person knew his age, went to the maiden. He settled his ancient bones on the beach near her where she was weaving cloth.

"Fair maiden," the old advisor started, "you are beautiful and skilled in all womanly arts, but your father will waste your youth with his delays. _You_ must choose the perfect one for your mate, for only you will find the one that you will love forever."

The princess considered the old man's words and that night had a dream. All night she dreamed of a fishing tournament and giant fish leaping into canoes. The next day she climbed onto the largest war canoe pulled up on the beach and made an announcement.

"People, listen to me! My father the king has examined many young men of the islands and their gifts but none has been found perfect. So, I, royal princess, will make this contest. Let all those men who desire me and my love forever, come to the lagoon tomorrow at midday. Let them bring their best fishing spears and we will have a fishing tournament. The fisherman who catches the largest fish and returns it to the beach will be my husband and share my father's kingdom with me when my father dies. Let all the young men prepare!"

So the single men sharpened their fishing spears, prepared their canoes, and repaired their nets far into the night and at midday gathered at the largest lagoon. Here they pranced and strutted and bragged of their mighty conquests of the sea. The tales were long and filled with mighty conquests as they prepared. The princess heard all their boasts, viewed their fine bodies, and examined their fishing tools. She was impressed, but at the very edge of the crowd of men, stood one whom she had never seen before. This man was tall and strong of arm, but ducked his head and stared at his feet when she approached him. He was older than the rest with a lined face, but as she looked at him her heart felt a warmth she had never felt before.

"You there!" she cried to the man, "you are a fine-looking man, but I have never seen you before. Where have you come from?" She looked long and hard at his fine features and strong body and liked what she saw.

The man stood firmly on the sand before her. "Princess, I am no one special. I was not born on this island but have lived here many years. I am no great fisherman but I will do my best to win this contest."

The princess was impressed with the humbleness of this man. She walked around him and saw his sturdy back, sleek hair, strong face, and well-muscled arms. "Fisherman, of all those who are gathered on this beach today, I believe that you are the most truthful of them all. Go and catch the biggest fish that you can, and we will see what happens!"

With those words she gave the signal and all the fishermen rushed to their canoes. Jostling and fighting with one another they drove their craft into the sea. Some were swamped right away and lost all their fishing tools, others were hit with paddles or poked with spears, and others lost headway and gave up.

But the strongest and fastest paddled far out to sea where some tried to land great tuna, but their boats were upset and they drowned. Others speared sharks and dragging the beasts to the surface were bitten to death or flailed by strong tails and they were lost.

The strongest of all, three in number, caught whale sharks in their nets. One was pulled from his canoe and went down. The other two were towed far beyond the horizon never to be seen again.

The princess stood on shore and watched the entire scene, dismayed that so many of the island's men would not return home.

But as the princess scanned the floating wreckage, she beheld one lone upright figure. He was across the lagoon and she could not see his face, but she saw him spear a fish and pulling it into his canoe, turn and pull for the beach.

She knew in her heart that this fisherman, whoever he might be, would be her husband. Her assistants arrayed her with all the beautiful flowers of the island and dressed in her finest tapa dress awaited the fisherman.

The lone canoe, battered by the waves and scarred by paddles of the others, slowly came to shore. She hoped that this man, whoever he might be, would be kind, if not a little handsome, for she had given her word that she would marry the winner of the tournament.

The man lifted the spear from the canoe and limping came up the beach. The princess lowered her face in fear, not knowing what she would see.

The fisherman came closer, and laying a medium sized grouper at her feet, lifted her face with has hand. "Here princess, is the fish that I have caught for you. The waters were thick with men and canoes and broken paddles. Many fish swam away or hid in the reef. Only this fish, a small grouper, remained. I am sorry that it is not a whale, or a fierce shark, or a mighty tuna, for such as you – beautiful and radiant – deserve only the best!"

He pointed to the fish on the sand. "This is the largest fish I could catch; the best I could catch. Would that it was larger." He then dropped to his feet and proclaimed his undying love for her.

The princess beheld the humble older man – the one she met on the crowd. She reached out and pulled him upright beside her.

She held his hand high above her head and proclaimed. "People of the island! This fisherman, the lone winner of this tournament shall be my husband. Not because he brought me a great fish, for the fish is no giant. Not because he was boastful and mighty – for he was neither. But because he told me that he would do his best! While all others fell by wave or spear or fish, only he, this man, did as he said he would do!"

And taking him in her arms she declared her love for him. So, she and the old fisherman lived happily as man and wife for many years and in their time ruled the island with greatness and gentleness.


End file.
